Electroplating-tank.



E. R. WILLIAMS. .ELEGTROPLATING TANK. APPLICATION FILED r113. 23.1910.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

L T E H S S T E B H 8 2 .By /M.

vOQOoQOOO IDYQQoQa B. R. WILLIAMS.

,BLEGTROPLATING TANK.

APPLICATION rum) 11:13.23, 1910.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

mm B. OE? STBELTOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TH E STREATOR METAL SILUING. 00., F M5303, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF'SOUTH DAKOTA.

ELEGTROPLAT-ING-TANK. 988,628. I Specification 0131mm t nt Patented Aug.'30, 1910. I a plicants filed February 23, 1910. Serial no. 545,431.

To aa'whom it may concern: Referring to the drawings, 1 designates Be it known that I, EDWIN R. WILLIAMS,

a citizen of the United States residing at Stmator, in the county of Lasalle and 'State' of Illinois, have invented certain new and the tank pro r herein shown as of plain f rectangular orm, and adapted to contain the usual nickel solution indicated at 2. 3 designates each ofa pair of cross bars sur- B tained by the invention are, to increase the Among the main objects sought to be ob-' in close arrangement .the handles the lower ends of which dip into the solution 2 useful Improvements in Electroplatingmounting the opposite ends of the tank, said .2

Tanks, of which the following is a speci cross bars'b'eing provided with a plurality cation. of apertures 4 for adj ustably bolting-thereto V invention relates to the general art the upright forks5. These latter are like- 10 of the; electro-deposition of meta s to form wise provided with a plurality of holes 6 65 a coating or platmg, and has reference more adapted to be engaged by bolts 7 for adjustpd'rticularly to a device for efie'cting the ecoably supporting a' pair of longitudinal bars nomical and rapid electroplating of U- 8 above the tank, these latter being provided 'sha' ed articles, such as han es of go-carts on their inner sides with longitudinal rows an the like. of closely set pins 9 on which may be-hung 70 working 'capacit of electroplating tanks oi, this type to re me the time period hereto.- za fore usually required toefiectthe operation to efiect a more uniform anjdeven deposition of the plating or galvanizing metal; to 'ro-' to a depthdetermined by the height of the rack bars 8.

- Extending from end to end of the tank 75.. and=-lying just inwardly of the upper ends ofiihe side wallsthereof are a pair of-aiiode vide a means for-easily and electroplating operation; and,

the extent of surface su jected to the generally, to provide an improved device of t e character specified.

To these and other minor ends the device of my invention in its preferred form is gen- I erally characterized, as to it's novel features,

by the provision of a galvanizing tank equipped with one or more vertically adjustable rack bars mounted thereabove to support the handles or other devices at any desired de th in the solution, together with a series 0 curved anodes that are suspended from anode rods disposed lengthwise of the sides of the tank and project inwardly toward each other beneath the lower ends of rods 11, to which-Fare secured at intervals a series of curved anodes 11' that dip into the solution and are curved at substantially a right angle, their inner ends extending to within a slight distance of each other at approximately the transverse center of the tank, and parallel therewith and mounted in osts 12 secured to the corners of the tan are a corresponding pair of cathode rods 13.- Extending between the cathode rods 13 and supported thereon by adjustable collars 14 are a series of contact rods 15 against and in contact with which the handles 10 lie; the suspending of the handles 10 at a slight angle to the vertical insuring a sufiicient contact by gravity,

The current is supplied from the positive 40 the handles and at a substantially uniform pole of the generator indicated at 16 by a distance from the latter and contactflrods conductor 17 leading to one of the anode disposed transversel of the tank and in con rods 11, and thence, through a connecting tact with the han les, said contact rods conductor 18 to the companion anode rod, themselves being in electrical connection thence through the curved anodes 11',thence 45 with one side of the generator while the through the solution and the handle bars anode rods are connected to the opposite 10 to the contact rodsl5, thence through the side of the generator. connections 14, cathode rods 13, and a con The invention will be readily understood ductor 19 connecting one end of said when considered in connection with the accathode rods, and through conductors 20 60 companying drawings which illustrate one connected to theopposite ends of said cathode articular cm in which the invention may rods to a 'rheostat 21, and thence by a conembodied and in which,e-- ductor 22 to the negative pole of the bat- Fi re 1 is a perspective elevation of the tery 16. comp ete apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a trans- It will be observed that the form of the 5' verse vertical section thereof. anodes 11' is such that any pair of opposed anodes unitedly conform substantially to the form of the immersed portion of the handles, and such pair of anodes is spaced at approximately uniform distances from the immersed portion of the handles at all oints, which insures a substantially uniorm deposition of metal 11 on the handles. The manner and meansvo' supporting the handles and efi'ecting their contact with the cathode bars are such that the handles may be set very close together, thus insuring a large capacity for the device. The described manner and means of supporting the rack bars 8 permits a quick and easy adjustment vertically of these bars so as to regulate the depth of immersion of the handles; and the pins 9 aflord an easy and quick means of mounting the handles, since the latter can be readily sprung at their free ends over said .pins and as easily removed therefrom.

I claim:

L'In an electroplating apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank adapted to hold the, plating solution, of a pair of rack bars mounted above and lengthwise of said tank and provided with means for suspending from and between them U-shaped handles, means for vertically adjustlng said rack bars, and means for passing an electric current through said solution and handles, substantially as described.

2. In an electroplating apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank adapted to hold the of forks mounted above t e end walls of said tank, respectively, a rack adjustably mounted in and extending between said forks, means on: said rack for suspending articles to be plated immersed at the desired depth in the solution, andmeans for passing an electric current through said solutlon and articles to be plated, substantially as described.

I 3. In an electroplating apparatus of the character described, the combination with a tank adapted to hold the plating solution, of a pair of forks mounted above each end wall lating solution,

senses of said tank, rack bars mounted in and between opposing forks, respectively, and vertically adjustable therein, pins on said rack to support the artlcles to be plated, anode rods extending lengthwise of said tank, anodes suspended from said rods and hav n their lower ends immersed 1n the soluti and curved inwardly toward each ot r,-

cathode rods also mounted on and longit di- 7 nally of said tank,contact rods exten ng between said cathode rods, and means for connecting the poles of a generator to said anode rods and cathode rods, respectively,

substantially as described.

5. In an'electronlating apparatus" of the character described, the combination with a tank adapted to hold the plating solution, of vertically adjustable rack bars surmounting said tank and rovided with means for suspending theretrom a plurality of U-shaped handles with the closed ends of the latter immersed in the solution, anode rods extending lengthwise of said tank, anodes suspend ed from said rods and dipping into the solution below said handles, each pair of o posed anodes unitedly having substantial y the form or contour of the immersed portion of a handle, cathode rods also mounted on and longitudinally of said tank, contact rods extending between said cathode rods and adapted to be engaged by said handles above the solution, and means for connecting the poles of the generator to said anode rods and cathode rods respectively, substantially as described.

- I EDWIN R. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. H. SoHAnrER, F. A. FERGUSON. 

